The organisers of last weekend's May Day protests today claimed excessive force from the Garda resulted in a number of supporters sustaining multiple injuries and accused the mainstream media of "painting a very inaccurate picture of what actually happened."
According to a spokeswoman working with the Dublin Grassroots Network (DGN), the most serious injuries were caused by targeting water canons directly at "peaceful protestors", leading to lacerations and internal bleeding.
Two people suffered severe head injuries after being knocked down from the force of the water and had to be brought to the nearby Mater Hopsital, the group claimed.
According to the group, gardai refused to allow protestors drive the injured to the hospital and forced the "heavily bleeding" men to walk to Accident and Emergency units.
DGN's Dr Laurence Cox hinted Garda "bullying" at the weekend would provoke further protests.
He said: "This was a weekend of large-scale, colourful and cheerful protest. The only sour notes were struck by police truncheons. We believe that the courage, creativity and solidarity we have learnt this weekend will bear fruit in initiatives over the next few months and years that go far beyond any single group."
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties supported DGN's accusation's of garda brutality and claimed the restrictions leveled on protesters amounted to a violation of the European Convention of Human Rights.
Ms Aisling Reidy, director of the ICCL, said the Garda should have published the guidelines under which necessary force could be used as well as making a commitment to carry out investigations for any breach of conduct.
She claimed the ICCL would now pursue the Commissioner to press for an investigation into Garda handling of last weekend's protests.
DNG's Dr Aileen O'Carroll described thee alleged abuses by the Gardai as part of the global trend of 'policing protest'.
She said: "Watercannon on the streets of Dublin and torture of prisoners in Iraq show the reality of the 'new world order' the Government is so keen to buy into."